Germany's far-right AfD party re-elects two amid violent protests

 Local police anticipate up to 80,000 protesters, including about 1,000 violent far-left protesters, to descend on the weekend's AfD party conference in Essen, Germany. 

Photo by Fabian Strauch/EPA-EFE

June 29 (UPI) -- Germany's Alternative for Deutschland party re-elected Alice Weidel and Tino Chrupalla to another two-year team as the party's joint leaders amid violent protests Saturday in Essen.

Chrupalla received 82.72% of supporting votes from 600 AfD party delegates and Weidel 79.77% during the AfD conference that got underway Saturday.

Their successful bids for reelection as AfD party leaders occurred as thousands of protesters took to the streets of Essen Saturday morning.

The group Widersetzen allegedly is organizing mass protests against the AfD, which many describe as a "far-right" political party.

Related

250,000 Germans turn out in mass protests of far-right AfD party

Widersetzen protest organizers want its members and supporters to disrupt the AfD conference to "prevent the spread of fascism."

About 1,000 German police are deployed in Essen for the two-day political conference.

Police officials expect up to 80,000 protesters to arrive in Essen on Saturday, including about 1,000 far-left extremists prone to violence, German media have reported.

The Bild newspaper reported police made several arrests and rescued an AfD member whom aggressive protesters had cornered in a local bakery.

Hooded violent protesters attacked police and security forces outside the event, which led to several arrests, the North Rhine-Westphalia regional police posted on X.

Violent protesters seriously injured two police officers, according to the NRW.

The protests follow the AfD's recent European Union election results earlier this month that gave the party Germany's second-highest amount of votes.

Only the Christian Democratic Union, which is considered a center-right political party, has more votes.

The AfD's election success occurred despite AfD member Maximilian Krah in May saying not all former Nazi SS members were criminals.

HEZBOLLAH IS IN LEBANON

Israel hits Hezbollah targets in preparation for escalated conflict

LEBANON HAS THE RIGHT TO DEFEND ITSELF

By Ehren Wynder

JUNE 29, 2024 

Hezbollah has carried out near daily airstrikes against northern Israeli settlements near the border with Lebanon since the Oct. 7 Hamas attack. 

File Photo by IDF/ UPI | License Photo

June 29 (UPI) -- Israel on Saturday struck Hezbollah targets in Lebanon in response to the militant group's recent airstrike along the Israeli-Lebanese border.

The strike occurred in the morning when Hezbollah fired two anti-tank guided missiles from southern Lebanon toward Kibbutz Misgav Am. No injuries were reported.

The group later confirmed responsibility for the strike, saying it was targeting Israeli spy equipment in Misgav Am in support of the Palestinian people. Israeli forces responded with artillery strikes toward the source of the missile launch.

Israeli fighter jets on Saturday also struck two buildings in Houla in southern Lebanon where Hezbollah operatives had gathered, according to the IDF.

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Lebanon'sPrime Minister Najib Mikati toured southern Lebanon amid the barrage, saying the clash between Israel and Hezbollah was "psychological warfare" on his country but that he was working to reach peace on the border.

The Lebanese military is active in the south of the country but has no control over the Iranian-backed Hezbollah.

Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant on Friday said his country was "not looking for war" with Hezbollah but that it was prepared for an escalated conflict.

Hezbollah has been launching strikes on northern border communities almost daily since the Oct. 7 Hamas attack on southern Israel, which sparked the war in Gaza.

The United States trying to persuade both sides to avoid an all-out war, the likelihood of which has been higher in recent weeks, according to U.S. intelligence officials.

The task of deescalation would be easier without failing negotiations between Israel and Hamas to reach a cease-fire in the nearly nine-month-long Gaza war.

Iran's mission to the United Nations on X Friday threatened an "obliterating war will ensue" if Israel were to wage a full-on war against Hezbollah in Lebanon.

"All options, including the full involvement of all resistance fronts, are on the table," the post read.

Israel is detaining pregnant Palestinian women, commission says

By Adam Schrader
JUNE 30, 2024 /

An Israel Prison Service van leaves the Damon Prison where it holds Palestinian prisoners, File Photo by Nimrod Glikman/EPA

June 30 (UPI) -- At least two women that have been detained by Israel are pregnant as conditions, including sexual harassment by their Israeli guards, continue to worsen for Palestinian prisoners.

"The policy of abuse and punishments against female detainees is not needed, but it increased in its intensity since October 7, 2023," the Palestinian Commission for the Affairs of Prisoners and Ex-Prisoners said in a statement on Telegram on Sunday.

The agency named the two pregnant women detained as Jihad Nakhlah and Aysha Ghidan. There are currently 78 women prisoners at the Damon prison.

"They have been completely isolated from the outside world, and deprived of their simplest rights such as clothes and medical care in spite of the seriousness of health conditions for those who have chronic diseases," the agency said.

"Furthermore, they are subjected to physical abuse and suppression since the beginning of their arrest, in addition to sexual harassment during strip search and other threats."

An attorney for the agency visited the prison and confirmed that the Israel Prison Service "intends to crack down on female detainees" as summer approaches. Israeli guards allegedly confiscate fans as temperatures rise.

The news comes weeks after it was revealed that nearly 9,300 Palestinian prisoners have been arrested and are currently held in Israeli prisons and detention centers, according to the Palestine Prisoner's Society. Around 250 prisoners are children.

More than 3,400 Palestinians are currently under "administrative detention," which allows Israeli officials to hold them without charge or trial. The human rights group Amnesty International has said the practice has "dramatically increased" since the war. Palestinians and their supporters often equate this practice to kidnapping.

Amnesty International has documented cases of Israeli soldiers torturing Palestinian detainees, including "severe beatings" and "humiliation." The human rights group said that such torture had been occurring "for decades" before Hamas' attack Oct. 7.

And, Israeli forces have continued to detain dozens of journalists and healthcare workers in Gaza.

Canadian Federal election candidate becomes the first to ever receive zero votes

He said he didn't even vote for himself 

Félix-Antoine Hamel, one of 84 candidates to run in a Toronto byelection, became the first candidate in the country's history to win zero votes in a contested federal election. File Photo by Molly Riley/UPI | License Photo

June 28 (UPI) -- A Canadian man has become the first candidate in the nation's history to receive zero votes in a contested federal election.

Félix-Antoine Hamel was one of 84 candidates to run in a Toronto byelection after he and 76 others were approached by election reform group Longest Ballot Committee, which packed the race with candidates to successfully create the longest ballot in Canadian history.

Hamel was the only candidate in the race to receive zero votes. He said he didn't even vote for himself because he is not a Toronto resident, and therefore not eligible to cast a ballot.

"When I saw the result, I was like: 'Well, I am the true unity candidate. Everyone agrees not to vote for me,'" Hamel told CBC News.

The Library of Parliament database confirmed Hamel was the first candidate in the country's history to fail to receive a single vote in a contested election. Other candidates have run in uncontested races and won without a single vote.

Six other candidates in Hamel's race received only two votes each.

Hamel said he wasn't exactly surprised by his showing in the election, but he was amused to learn of his unusual new distinction.

"I'm one of the last people that would be expected to make Canadian history in any way," he said.

Childhood exposure to air pollution may increase adult risk of bronchitis

By Dennis Thompson, HealthDay News

JUNE 28, 2024 

Exposure to air pollution as a child increases an adult's risk of bronchitis, a new study warns. Photo by Adobe Stock/HealthDay News

Exposure to air pollution as a child increases an adult's risk of bronchitis, a new study warns.

Young adults with bronchitis symptoms tended to have been exposed during childhood to two types of air pollutants, researchers found:

Particle pollution from dust, pollen, wildfire ash, industrial emissions and vehicle exhaust.

Nitrogen dioxide from gasoline engines.

Bronchitis occurs when the large airways of the lungs become inflamed, causing severe coughing spells that bring up mucus or phlegm. Wheezing, chest pain and shortness of breath are other symptoms.

"Our results suggest that childhood air pollution exposure has more subtle effects on our respiratory system that still impact us in adulthood," said researcher Dr. Erika Garcia, an assistant professor of population and public health sciences at the University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine.

"Reducing air pollution would have benefits not only for current asthma in children but also for their respiratory health as they grow into adulthood," Garcia added in a university news release.

Air pollution has been consistently associated with lung ailments among children, and childhood lung problems are consistently associated with lung issues as adults, researchers said in background notes.

However, few studies have explored the effect of childhood air pollution exposure on adult lung health, whether or not kids suffered lung problems, researchers said.

Children are particularly vulnerable to the effects of air pollution, researchers said. Their respiratory and immune systems are still developing, and they breathe in more air relative to their body mass than adults.

For the study, researchers analyzed data on more than 1,300 young adults who had participated in a children's health study.

A quarter of the participants had experienced bronchitis symptoms within the past 12 months, researchers found.

Researchers tracked where the participants lived as they grew, and matched addresses to local air quality measurements taken by the Environmental Protection Agency.

The adult risk of bronchitis was significantly associated with air pollution exposure in childhood, even after researchers adjusted for any asthma or bronchitis the participants had as children, results show.

However, the effect of childhood air pollution on adult bronchitis symptoms was even stronger among those who'd been diagnosed with asthma as kids.

This shows that some children may be more sensitive to the effects of air pollution, Garcia said.

"We may want to be especially careful to protect them from exposure, so we can improve their outcomes later in life," Garcia said.

Researchers noted that participants with adult bronchitis symptoms were affected by nitrogen dioxide as kids even though average childhood exposure fell far below annual EPA standards -- just a bit over half the limit set in 1971 that still stands today.

The findings were published Friday in the American Journal of Respiratory and Clinical Care Medicine.

"This study highlights the importance of lowering air pollution, and especially exposure during the critical period of childhood," Garcia said. "Because there's only so much that we can do as individuals to control our exposure, the need to protect children from the adverse effects of air pollution is better addressed at the policy level."

More information

UNICEF has more on air pollution and children.

Copyright © 2024 HealthDay. All rights reserved.

Banksy behind inflatable 'crowdsurfing' migrant raft at Glastonbury

By Mark Moran

Festival goers enjoy watching British singer Liam Gallagher perform on the Pyramid stage at Glastonbury Music Festival in Somerset on Saturday, June 29, 2019. The artist Banksy was behind a stunt that involved an inflatable boat that surfed the crowd meant to draw attention to immigration. Photo by Hugo Philpott/UPI | License Photo

June 30 (UPI) -- The street artist known as Banksy was behind a stunt during another singer's set at the Glastonbury music festival in England.

During Idles' set, participants lofted an inflatable life raft with dummy migrants atop the crowd and passed it forward, giving the appearance of the boat traveling along the water.

The raft was launched and crowdsurfed during the song Danny Nedelko with lyrics about an immigrant. It was a reference to the small boats carrying migrants across the English Channel, which have become a political lightning rod this year.

Immigration has been at the forefront of the snap elections called by England's Prime Minister Rishi Sunak. His immigration policy proposals have been the target of criticism and a focus of the Glastonbury festival.

People entering Terminal 1, an area dedicated to the topic of immigration, must answer a question from the UK government's citizenship test for would-be migrants.

HIP HOP CULTURE IN PARIS

Break-dancers seek to elevate sport at Paris Olympics


 Breaker Victor "B-Boy Victor" Montalvo will represent Team USA at Paris 2024.

 Photo by Jeon Heon-Kyun/EPA-EFE

June 28 (UPI) -- Team USA's first Olympic breaking team is gratified to be a part of the sport's Olympic debut at Paris 2024, but pioneers and officials from the American-birthed dance form remain vexed about its snub from LA 2028.

Sunny "B-Girl Sunny" Choi and Victor "B-Boy Victor" Montalvo were the first Americans to qualify for the historic U.S. breaking team. Jeffrey "B-Boy Jeffro" Louis and Logan "B-Girl Logistx" Edra earned Team USA's remaining spots last weekend in Budapest.

"It's interesting," Louis recently told the Team USA website. "A lot of breakers feel we've got to keep the hip-hop, keep it underground.

"The problem with doing that," he said, "is that you can't shine a lot on the sport by keeping it in the dark."

The young dancers are eager to bring breaking to new heights, but those who built it, starting from Bronx neighborhood parties in the 1970s, feel discouraged about its future after it was left off the program for 2028.

"For me, it's like a slap in the face to the art form and to a hip-hop culture, when you look at the French picking breaking [for Paris 2024], but the country where breaking originated turned its back on it," breaking legend Richard "Crazy Legs" Colón told UPI.

Colón, 58, is widely recognized as one of the best breakers ever. The Bronx native is an original member of the Rock Steady Crew -- a dance group that toured the world -- and has consistently been profiled by media outlets and even performed in movies, including Flashdance. He also mentors, teaches and facilitates events to further promote young breakers.




Although Colón said that he would "be gutted" to perform at the Olympics while knowing that the United States rejected breaking's placement in the 2028 Summer Games, he also said legendary breakers shouldn't "trample on the futures" of younger Olympians.

Tony "Mr. Wave" Wesley, another pioneer of the dance form, said breaking's inclusion in Paris is "unimaginable."

"It was unimaginable that it would go this far," Wesley told Good Morning America. "It helped us clear our minds. It helped us gain positive thoughts and work real hard at something that we weren't used to working hard at.

"So, for it to move all the way until the Olympics, all the way into this platform, to be recognized globally, it is a feat."

Dance federations from around the world expressed disappointment when breaking was snubbed from the 2028 Summer Games, and they are focused having it included in 2032 in Brisbane, Australia.

In October, World DanceSport Federation president Shawn Tay cited anticipated success in Paris as part of that effort.




"We worked relentlessly over many months to present a powerful and passionate proposal that detailed all the many advantages breaking as a dance sport discipline brings to the Olympic Movement and Olympic Games," Tay said.

"Ensuring the success of breaking's Olympic debut at Paris 2024 is therefore on the forefront of the WDSF agenda."

Thirty-two dancers will compete -- 16 men and 16 women -- at the Summer Games. Team USA, Japan, France, Belgium, Spain, Italy and several South American countries are expected to be top contenders for Olympic glory.

Who to watch

B-Boy Phil Wizard of Canada, B-Boy Shigekix of Japan and B-Boy Dany of France join B-Boy Victor and B-Boy Jeffro among the top expected men's contenders in Paris.

B-Girl Ami of Japan, B-Girl 671 of China, B-Girl Nicka of Lithuania and B-Girl Anti of Italy are among the top women's breakers headed to Paris.

Excitement and spontaneity are intrinsic in breaking, as dancers aren't told the music to which they will perform. They frequently use top rock -- stand-up moves -- and freeze -- when they pause in positions like on their heads and hands -- amid acrobatic routines.

Olympic judges will calculate 60% of the dancers' scores based on performativity and creativity. The other 40% will be based on technique, personality, variety and musicality.

Showstoppers often flow from down rock -- floor moves -- which include spins, footwork, power moves, and transitions. Breakers will spin their bodies while on their hands, elbows, back, shoulders and heads.

Breaking power moves include the Colón-created windmill, head spins and the air flare, which involves circular body rotations while upside down and shifting balance on either arm.

Breakers train for competition in a variety of ways, based on performance strengths, using yoga, weight lifting, and more to maximize power, explosion and flexibility, and to avoid injuries.

Dr. Anatolia Vick-Kregel, the assistant director of fitness and wellness at Rice University, said a good core foundation and strength training routine, conditioning and mobility are vital to avoid injuries.

"That should be across the board, but especially for all breakers, it is vital to have a strong core, which is more than just your abs," Vick-Kregel said.

Breakers should be "doing exercises that that train each aspect of the core, and then given how much they're also on their on their wrists, and doing so much with their upper body, doing a lot of shoulder stability things," she said.

"Really, you want to train those stabilizer muscles, as well, to make sure they are extremely strong and can hold you through these explosive movements."

Vick-Kregel said wrist injuries are the most common ones for breakers, but any moves that put a lot of weight on the head likely involve the most potential for danger.




Breaking battles generally include two or three throw downs -- one-on-one matchups -- leading to the final. The final often features three or five throw downs.

While style and rhythm are uber prevalent during breaking performances, the risk and raw athleticism it takes to compete should keep eyes glued to Olympic coverage.

"You feel our energy," Choi told TIME. "You feel the excitement, you feel the happiness or the anger or whatever emotion that the dancer is expressing in that moment. It's so visceral and raw. I don't think you get that anywhere else."

Diet that limits ultra-processed foods isn't automatically healthy, study shows

By Susan Kreimer


 Dr. Zhaoping Li, a professor of medicine and director of the Center for Human Nutrition at the David Geffen School of Medicine at the University of California-Los Angeles, advises consuming various fresh and nutrient-dense foods whenever possible. 

Photo by Klaus Nielsen/Pexels

NEW YORK, June 30 (UPI) -- A diet that limits ultra-processed foods isn't automatically healthy, and the types of foods people eat may matter more than the level of processing used to make them. a new study suggests.

The findings were presented Sunday at the American Society for Nutrition's annual meeting in Chicago.

Researchers compared two menus that reflect a typical Western diet -- one that emphasizes minimally processed foods and the other that focuses on the ultra-processed variety, according to the NOVA Food Classification System.

This system categorizes foods into one of four groups based on processing-related criteria. It was designed by Center for Epidemiological Studies in Health and Nutrition in the School of Public Health at the University of Sao Paulo, Brazil.

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The less-processed menu was more than double in price and reached its expiration date more than three times more quickly without providing any additional nutritional value.

This outcome demonstrated that "both ultra-processed and less processed foods can have a low healthy eating score," Allen Levine, a professor emeritus in the Department of Food Science and Nutrition at the University of Minnesota in St. Paul, told UPI via email.

Levine classified the various foods in the NOVA system for the study.

"Also, ultra-processed foods with a healthy eating score similar to the less-processed foods have a longer shelf life and are less costly," Levine said.

Based on these findings, it's possible to consume a low-quality diet even when selecting mostly minimally processed foods, the researchers noted.

"The results of this study indicate that building a nutritious diet involves more than a consideration of food processing as defined by NOVA," the study's principal investigator, Julie Hess, said in a news release.

"The concepts of 'ultra-processed' foods and 'less-processed' foods need to be better characterized by the nutrition research community," said Hass, a research nutritionist at the U.S. Department of Agriculture/Agriculture Research Service Grand Forks Human Nutrition Research Center.

Last year, the team published a study showing that one could assemble a high-quality menu that aligns with dietary guidelines while deriving most of its calories from foods classified as ultra-processed.

For the new study, the researchers posed the opposite question: Can you build a low-quality menu that obtain most of its calories from "simple" foods?

To answer that question, they constructed a less-processed menu, which sourced 20% of calories from ultra-processed foods, and a more-processed menu, which derived 67% of calories from ultra-processed foods. The NOVA system determined the level of processing involved in each menu.

Researchers calculated the menus to have a Healthy Eating Index score of about 43 to 44 out of 100, a relatively low number that reflects poor adherence to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans.

They estimated that the less-processed menu would cost $34.87 daily per person, compared with $13.53 per day for the more-processed menu. They also calculated that the median time to expiration of the less-processed menu items was 35 days compared to 120 days for the more-processed menu items.

The study casts a spotlight on the disconnects between food processing and nutritional value, the researchers said. Some nutrient-dense packaged foods can be classified as ultra-processed - for instance, unsweetened applesauce, ultrafiltered milk, liquid egg whites, and some brands of raisins and canned tomatoes.

"When it comes to consuming an affordable healthy diet, both nutrition quality and price can be packaged together," said registered dietitian Joan Salge Blake, a clinical professor and director and nutrition programs at Boston University. She was not involved in the study.

Blake recommends using the grocery store circular or app to find healthy foods -- whether fresh, frozen, canned or packaged -- that are on sale and plan your weekly meals around these items.

"Use the Nutrition Fact Panel on the label as a guide to help you decipher the nutritional quality of the foods that you choose rather than being frightened by their level of processing," she said.

However, ultra-processed foods can contribute significantly to obesity and related chronic diseases if they contain high added sugars, unhealthy fats and artificial additives and have low nutritional value, said Dr. Zhaoping Li, a professor of medicine and director of the Center for Human Nutrition at the David Geffen School of Medicine at the University of California-Los Angeles.

"Ultra-processed foods were initially developed to provide convenient and affordable sources of calories aimed at preventing malnutrition," Li said, adding that they have become increasingly popular because they often appeal to consumers' taste preferences with ready-to-eat or ready-to-prepare formats.

She advises replacing ultra-processed foods with various fresh and nutrient-dense foods whenever possible.

A diet composed of whole grains, lean proteins, healthy fats, fruits and vegetables "ensures the body receives the necessary vitamins, minerals and other beneficial compounds," Li said.

"Prioritizing dietary quality can help prevent chronic diseases, improve energy levels and support overall well-being," she added.

The study sends the overall message that there's more to the health value of food than the level of processing it goes through to reach consumers, said Liz Weinandy, a registered dietitian and instructor of practice at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center in Columbus.

However, "I don't think anyone will disagree that sugary beverages, candy and snack chips are low in nutritional value and should not be consumed regularly," Weinandy said. "We don't want to put lipstick on a pig."

Bird flu virus on cow milking equipment poses infection risk

By Ernie Mundell, HealthDay News

The H5N1 avian flu virus remains infectious on cow milking equipment for at least an hour, according to a new study. Photo by Adobe Stock/HealthDay News

The spread of H5N1 avian flu to dairy cows has health experts and many Americans on edge, and now a new study finds the virus stays viable on milking equipment for at least an hour.

"Dairy cows have to be milked even if they are sick, and it has not been clear for how long the virus contained in residual milk from the milking process remains stable on the equipment," said study lead author Valerie Le Sage. "It is concerning that the virus in unpasteurized milk can remain stable for hours and potentially infect farm workers or spread from animal to animal."

Le Sage is a research assistant professor of microbiology and molecular genetics at the Center for Vaccine Research at the University of Pittsburgh.

She and her team believe the findings underscore the need for dairy workers to wear personal protective equipment (PPE) at work, to cut down on their odds for infection.

So far, there have been three known cases of human H5N1 infection linked to the current outbreak in dairy cows. All three cases occurred among dairy workers with long and close exposures to infected animals.

The illnesses were mild, but the fear among scientists is that H5N1 will mutate in a human to become easily transmitted between people, raising the specter of a new pandemic.

H5N1 originated in birds but has now spread to many species of mammals, including seals, dolphins and cows. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is watching the situation closely, but says that, for now at least, the risk to people remains low.

In the study, Le Sage's team created a lab environment that mirrored the humidity and temperature of outdoor milking parlors in Texas.

They report that H5N1 virus particles "suspended in milk remained stable on metal and rubber for over one hour," according to a university news release.

They also tested out particles of H1N1 "swine flu," and found those particles remained viable for three hours on rubber and for at least one hour on stainless steel.

The findings were reported in the August issue of the CDC journal Emerging Infectious Diseases.

"Our data supports that milking equipment surfaces can stay contaminated for a long time, increasing the potential spread from a sick animal to a person," Le Sage said. "These findings underscore the importance of face shields, masks and eye protection, and enhanced sanitization of equipment between cows, to reduce the risk to workers and to minimize the spread between the animals."

More information

Find out more about bird flu at the CDC.

Copyright © 2024 HealthDay. All rights reserved.

Instability and economic crisis: Bolivia after failed coup


By AFP
June 28, 2024


Bolivian President Luis Arce talks to the media during a press conference in La Paz - Copyright AFP AIZAR RALDES

Bolivia’s President Luis Arce triumphed after a failed coup attempt this week, but the country has entered a new period of instability during a severe economic crisis.

This is what you need to know about the fallout of the botched uprising in the small Andean nation, rich in natural gas and lithium reserves:

– The army –

It was a brief but dramatic series of events: Soldiers and tanks deployed to a historic plaza in central La Paz, taking up position in front of the presidency and other government buildings.

They tried to break through a door of the presidency, and rebel army chief Juan Jose Zuniga declared his aim to “restructure democracy.”

Not long after, he was captured and bundled into a police car and the troops pulled back.

Fourteen civilians were injured with lead pellets and authorities arrested 21 military and civilian suspects, including Zuniga and the naval and air force chiefs.

Bolivia and alarmed foreign allies hailed a victory for democracy, but much about the plans remain murky.

Zuniga has alleged Arce was in on the plans and wanted the coup staged to boost his popularity, which the president has firmly denied.

What is clear, analysts say, is that something is rotten within the armed forces. Just how big the problem is, remains to be seen.

“I think there is a problem within the armed forces, but the fact that the coup d’etat was contained quickly says that, for now, civilian power prevails” over the military, said Gustavo Flores-Macias, an analyst at Cornell University.

– The president –

Analysts agree that Arce has emerged stronger after the botched uprising — for now.

“In the short term this supports his government. But this will be brief,” said Pablo Calderon, from London’s Northeastern University.

With just over a year left to finish his term which began in 2020, Arce is facing discontent from powerful businesses and freight transporters over the country’s economic decline.

He is also battling a faction within his party, the Movement Towards Socialism, which is backing former President Evo Morales as candidate in the 2025 presidential election.

The fleeting uprising “will give a boost” to Arce’s likely candidacy for reelection and was “a show of force” against Morales, said analyst Carlos Cordero, from the Bolivian Catholic University.

– The ex-president –

Morales, Bolivia’s first Indigenous president, was extremely popular until he tried to bypass the constitution and seek a fourth term in office in 2019.

The leftist won that vote but was forced to resign amid deadly protests over alleged election fraud, and fled the country.

He returned after his former ally Arce won the presidency in October 2020, but since then a power struggle has grown between the two men.

Morales has increasingly criticized the government and is trying to get back into power, despite being disqualified by the Constitutional Court.

Arce may now be the center of attention, but Morales continues to “be the moral leader of the Bolivian left,” said Calderon, adding, “I think it will be very difficult for Arce to put him in a box or exclude him” from any political negotiation process.

– The economy –

Bolivia, home to 12 million people and an Indigenous majority, has in recent weeks been rocked by an economic crisis due to a drop in gas production, a crucial source of foreign currency.

The country has had to reduce fuel imports and there is a shortage of dollars, which has triggered protests. The cost of living has also increased.

Rich in natural gas reserves, Bolivia’s sharp decline in production is attributed by experts to a lack of investment and exploration.

Bolivia has some of the world’s largest deposits of lithium and has turned its focus to the crucial metal, signing contracts with Russian and Chinese companies to develop the industry.

However, these lithium projects are still in their infancy.

Calderon said the coup bid will only make the economic situation more difficult.

“Uncertainty tends to be bad for business,” he said.